


Poison

by twilymeeks



Category: Final Space (Cartoon)
Genre: (THIS FIC HAS BEEN COMPLETED), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Dadspeed, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, ITS GOOD TO BE BACK, Psychological Drama, Takes place in S3! DO NOT TAKE THESE AS CANON EVENTS EVEN IF ITS A FIC, WELCOME BACK TO SUFFER TOWN ITS YOUR HOST TWILY, dadsquared, tw // suicidal thoughts and ideation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilymeeks/pseuds/twilymeeks
Summary: Ever since Invictus possessed Avocato, conflicting feels burrowed deep in his heart. Almost like poison. Now, he has to face these emotions once and for all.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Context so you can understand the piece better: A speculative piece where the team squad fights a possesed corpse of Gary's dad, during the fight, Invictus attempts to possess Avocato, who is thankfully able to fight it off. But, why did Invictus abandon a strong vessel such as John for Avocato of all people? Given the conflicting emotions that have been building up, it's clear Invictus sees Avocato as a strong vessel, and unstable at that. Little Cato realizes this as he hears his father's words during the fallout, and after getting on the Crimson Light, Little Cato decides to confront him about it.
> 
> Basically this is S3 speculative fanfiction please enjoy :))))))

**“Are you mad at Gary?”**

From the moment those words came out of Little Cato’s mouth, the world around Avocato froze. It was a question that he undeniably wanted to avoid answering at all costs. He could feel a lump forming in his throat, the words he wanted to say unable to come out of his mouth. Perhaps it was the whiplash his son’s words had given him, but had to say no, right? Deep inside, there was this part of him that while small, was more vocal than it seemed. It would always come when his anxieties built up, yet it seemed to build up the most when his son was around Gary. Gary was his first true friend in ages, and he had a lot of faith in him. Yet that feeling, that sickening feeling always came when the two were together. The way that Little Cato smiled at him, the way that Gary laughed, something about it seemed to bug him, and there was no way he’d be telling anyone about it anytime soon.

“What? Of course not.” Avocato replied.

“We’re pretty tight, and I don’t think he’s done anything to make me mad.”

Little Cato’s expression didn’t seem to change. It was that same curious expression he’d always make, only whenever he really wanted to know something.

“Dad, when you were fighting off Invictus earlier...I heard you saying some things. Things that sounded really familiar.” Little Cato said, his voice growing stern.

“When you shot Gary under Invictus, you said he ‘stole’ me away from you. The same things as earlier.”

“The hell are you talking about?” Avocato replied.

“I already told you boy, I’ve never been mad at Gary. Why would I be mad at the person whos’ protected you all this time?

Little Cato’s eyes furrowed. He could tell his dad was trying to dodge the conversation, not to mention he could feel the tension in his dad’s voice rising as he spoke. He wasn’t even looking him in the eyes, which was definitely suspicious. If his dad doesn’t tell the truth, the entire squad could be in danger. They’d all slowly begun to learn about how Invictus was able to influence others, whether it be through their own sinful desires or their own vulnerability. From Gary’s perspective, it seemed that Invictus was able to prey off of the negative emotions of others, through not just their anxieties, but the depths of their own inner trauma as well. It was something that gave even HUE lots of worry. This wasn’t going to end here, and Little Cato needed to hit his father in the right opening. 

“Dad, Invictus targeted you. Not me, Gary, or anyone else. Just you.” Little Cato said.

"You know we've started to figure out how they tick. Invictus  _ preys _ off of our negative energy. The corpse stuff is...well, that crap's just weird. But if Invictus had full control of Gary's dad, he wouldn't give that up. Unless he found someone  _ stronger _ ."

A frustrated growl built up in Avocato’s throat.

" **Someone that fit every box for the perfect vessel to take advantage of** ."

"Stop making assumptions, boy! I have nothing against Gary and you know that." Avocato shouted.

"He could've gotten any one of us, you know damn well that-"

“ **STOP LYING TO ME!** ”

Avocato’s fur stood up on it’s ends as his son shouted in frustration at him. Looking his son in the eyes, his features had become more strained, and the look in his eyes was almost hostile. One hand was clutching onto his shirt, his claws bare with his boiling frustrations, while the other rubbed his arm as if he was trying to hold back every ounce of anger he had.

"Do you really think I haven’t seen the faces you make when i'm around Gary?" Little Cato growled.

"You always seem angry when Gary acts like anything of a dad to me. I see how angry you look, how you try to dismiss it as 'thinking about what's the next mission' when in reality you think otherwise. You're only mad because he was there for me when you weren’t!”

_ Crud. _

He might’ve gone a bit overboard on that one. By the time Little Cato had noticed, he could almost see smoke coming from his dad’s ears, his face flushed red in anger despite his forest ocean complexion. An irritated growl emitted from Avocato, and all hell seemed to start breaking loose.

"You don't realize how much I've done for you. The sacrifices I made, how hard I’ve worked." Avocato said, his tone seething with anger.

"This isn't about that! This is about Gary being my ‘other’ dad.” Little Cato replied. His frustrations only seemed to rise with every dodge his father seemed to make.

"Stop acting like everything is okay! Invictus got you because you're being  _ selfish _ . When I got stuck in the time shards, Gary helped me. When I'd have a nightmare, he'd tell me everything would be ok. Why is Gary being a good person a problem? You want me  _ all _ to yourself, acting like you didn't nearly kill me for the Lord Commander, acting like you're a better dad than Gary just because you think you can fix all the problems I had before!”

Tears began to sting in the small ventrexian’s eyes. He didn’t want to lose his cool, but that thought was thrown out the window a long time ago. Gary had helped him through thick and thin, even when Avocato wasn’t there to see it. It was clear to LIttle Cato that he’d changed a lot, a chunk of it particularly for the worse. ‘PTSD’ is what they seemed to call it where Gary came from, and according to HUE, Little Cato was a clear cut case all across the board. It was nice to know Gary was part of the same club, even if his trauma left him in the worst states possible. But no matter what, Gary was always there and so was everyone else. Since Avocato had come back, he’d seen the looks of his increase. Avocato seemed to be confused by all the intimacy him and Gary shared with their inside jokes and strange obsession with Loggins. At that time, Little Cato could tell he wasn’t upset by it. But as time went on, the looks grew more frustrated, not to mention much more obvious to pinpoint. From his point of view, Gary and the others didn’t seem to notice this, and Quinn didn’t seem to care given the fact that she’d been trapped in Final Space for god knows how long. But nonetheless, it was something that left Little Cato curious. His dad’s anger only began to show more and more as Little Cato dug into his own grave, and it made his eyes only water from how frustrated it made him. He didn’t care what he was going to say next. After all, wasn’t it the truth?

"You're just  _ jealous _ ‘cause he's a good father."

Snap, crackle,  **pop** .

**"I AM A GOOD FATHER!"**

Every emotion Avocato held, every thought in the depths of his heart could no longer be contained. It tugged at his chest, it was ugly and Avocato feared the world would witness this toxicity. His voice roared to the point where it seemed his vocal cords would break at the seems. His hands were shaking, his eyes beginning to water. He felt dirtied, poisoned almost. He could hear the sound of footsteps and doors opening, making the pit in his chest grow. This seriously couldn’t be happening, not now, not ever. But it was, and he hated every second of it.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Gary said, walking over to Little Cato. 

"Why don't you ask _ him _ .” Little Cato said, pointing a finger to his dad. Gary’s eyes whipped to Avocato’s, which looked like daggers that could pierce his soul twenty times over.

"It’s none of your business.” Avocato sneered. Gary smelled BS, strong BS indeed.

"Dad, if you didn't feel like this, Invictus would've never possessed you. You're a _ target _ ." Little Cato replied.

“Invictus?” Gary said. Avocato, a target? Suddenly, the memories came like whiplash to him. Avocato shooting him, the pain of a gunshot wound, purple eyes, spouting nonsense about Little Cato being stolen-

_ Hold on a freakin’ minute. _

“Hey, Little Cato? Can I, y’know, borrow your dad for a second?” Gary asked. Little Cato nodded, and as quickly as he’d asked, he’d taken him by the paw just as fast. Dragging Avocato into the dining hall, he sat the large ventrexian down and pulled a chair next to him. Twiddling his fingers, Gary asked him the question head-on.

“Do you _ actually _ think I stole Little Cato from you?” Gary spoke.

No response. Avocato didn’t dare to look at him, his eyes spacing towards the table in front of them. He’d never seen his friend this nervous, clearly panicking given the way his hands were shaking as he attempted to process what he’d just asked him. In a way, it reminded him of himself, being asked questions about ‘home’ and ‘parents’ and all sorts of things that threw him into a panic attack when he was younger. Gary slowly put a hand on the ventrexian’s shoulder, and tried to speak in a calmer voice in an attempt to calm his friend down.

“Bro. I’m not gonna hate you or anything, but you’ve gotta tell us what’s going on. You’ve been acting weird lately and  _ everyone’s _ noticed.” Gary said.

“I...overheard some of what went down with you and your boy. Pretty hardcore stuff. I know what he said sounded pretty harsh, but I don’t think he wants to lose you again. Just tell me what’s going on.”

A few moments pass, and then...a tear. Then another. And another one again.

A small squeak emitted from Avocato in an attempt to hold back a sob. Avocato hated those feelings that felt like poison, he hated that Gary was sitting like this, having to comfort someone as pathetic as him. Someone who couldn’t care for their own son. Someone who couldn’t stay alive to do their job.

_ Someone who was jealous. _

His rational mind finally allowed this truth to slip, but he wanted to deny it. He wasn’t jealous of anyone from the start, right? It wasn’t like the son he’d raised for fourteen years had undergone massive changes in the time he was dead. He didn’t even want to remember being dead, it led to nightmare after nightmare and it made him want to vomit at the thought of him not even being alive. His chest felt tighter, was he breathing right? He definitely wasn’t. The hand on his shoulder grew warmer to the touch, and it made his anger grow further. He hated the compassion, he hated how delicate Gary was with him, he hated the comforting silence of the dining hall, but most of all-

_ He hated how amazing Gary truly was. _

Avocato’s fist slammed the table. It hurt like hell, but it was enough to let everything that overwhelmed him out of his system. A pained sob shook through his body, and he sunk further into the chair.

“I-It’s not fair.” Avocato replied, his voice wavering.

“The amount of pain it brings me. I don’t want to believe it, but Little Cato’s changed. That riot of a kid feels like something far gone now. Ever since I came back, something in me has felt different. It makes me feel so sick inside and I try to ignore it every chance I get.  _ Every time _ I see you with my boy it feels like he’s drifted farther away from me. After I’ve been trying to make things right between us everything seems different...that time my boy broke down after everything that’s happened...I could’ve sworn he looked me in the eyes like I was going to kill him.”

Gary nodded, and continued to listen. Admittedly, it was a bit jarring to hear Avocato spill out this much of his feelings at once. He could be vulnerable when he wanted to, but never to this extent. Gary and Quinn knew Avocato for being quite the stubborn type.

“Why can’t I just be better? Why do I have to feel like such a dick when you’re doing so much good for my son. I want to be there for him, I want to make things better, I want to be the father  _ he _ wants me to be.”

“ **Guess you ‘stole’ that from me too.** ”


	2. Part 2

For Gary, he didn’t want to believe the words Avocato was saying right now.

In a sense, given the toll Invictus had on him, he saw it coming, yet it was an answer he wished not to come to fruition. It was obvious that Invictus fed off of the negative emotions of others, and could bug someone through their host. Not only was Avocato still feeling that presence, but it had taken a toll on him to the point where he willingly hid his true feelings from the crew; and because of those buried emotions, these effects were growing worse by the minute. It was painful to see a friend of his cry, and as much as he kept a brave face for Avocato, he just wanted to give him the biggest hug to show how much he cared. Therapy tactics worked much better in this situation, so he kept up with that in the meantime. He could feel the ventrexian tremble as his hand lay on his shoulder, and he could hear the irregular breaths his friend was taking.

_ It’s not fair. _

That one line. That one damn line. He wasn’t mad at Avocato, far from it in actuality. Even Avocato knew he was doing something good for Little Cato, even with the trauma his boy had undergone. But deep down, Gary knew that these were Avocato’s true feelings. If they weren’t, would this even be happening in the first place? Things were already looking grim when he heard the thunderous tone in his voice when he was arguing with Little Cato, and in a way, Avocato looked almost...small now. The load of those feelings seemed to have weighed the ventrexian down lots, and his outpour of emotions seemed to have made his mind far clearer than before.

“He’s still your son. Always has been.” Gary replied, which caused the ventrexian to look up at him, tears and all.

“Invictus poisoned your mind. We all know that. But deep down, I know these feelings are as real as it gets. Just because I was his only father figure for a while doesn’t mean he’s lost respect for you as a father. Far from it.”

“I-I know that, but I just can’t believe it. Everything about what you’ve done, everything that you do for him is better than anything I’ve ever done for him.” Avocato said.

“That’s not true.” Gary replied.

“You’ve messed up big time in the past, that’s a pretty obvious blow. But the things you’ve done to improve and show him that you care speaks just as much about you as the bad. The bad’s still gonna be there, and it’s something you’re gonna have to deal with, but you can pave a better future in this moment.”

“But they’re not just some little mistake. I was Lord Commander’s henchman. I murdered innocent people, Gary.” Avocato said.

“That’s not something I can cover up by ‘paving’ a better path.”

“So that’s why this is important.” Gary replied.

“Lord Commander manipulated you. He fooled everyone and he knew where to hit you the most so you could be pulled into his regime. Those moments aren;t going to go away, but the good things I’ve seen from you bring more happy tokens than bad ones. You sacrificed your life to save your son...that can’t be ignored.”

Rubbing his eyes, the ventrexian let out a sigh, and spoke.

“How am I gonna tell him about this?” Avocato said.

“The boy’s already riled up from our argument earlier.”

“I’d say give him a few.” Gary replied.

“Your boy’s under a lot of stress. We all are after that battle.”

Avocato replied with a nod, and after some more back and forth exchanges, Avocato went back to his living quarters. He’d definitely try to talk to Little Cato tonight, even if it left his stomach in knots. He was still tense from the events that had transpired, and the fact that he was even able to confront these feelings gave him a lingering sense of fear and relief. It was nice to get something like that out of his system, but the more he thought about it, the more panicked he became. Perhaps if he got some shut-eye, maybe then those thoughts would go away…

But then, a knock on the door snapped him out of his rut. Was it already time for dinner? As he got up from bed, he wondered how much time had passed. An hour? Two, three? He was too out of it to tell. Opening the door, it was someone he didn't really expect: HUE.

“Avocato, are you in stable condition?” HUE asked.

“According to my internal clock, dinner started two hours ago. You were not present.”

“Didn’t notice.” Avocato replied. 

“Just lost track of time, that’s all.”

“Are you perhaps frustrated by your earlier predicament?” HUE asked.

“Your emotional state seemed quite unstable. Skipping a meal will not help in battle either. You’re usually one of the first to show up at the dining quarters, so I was concerned as to why you didn’t show.”

“I told you, I just lost track of time.” Avocato said, plopping onto his mattress. HUE walked over to him, and sat beside him with a proper amount of space between the two. 

“Avocato, you are showing signs of disconnection. Would you like me to get Gary for you?” HUE asked.

“No need.” Avocato replied angrily. He didn’t need to ask for help again, nor did he want to in the first place. He wasn;t used to being dependent on others, and given his past as the Lord Commander’s henchmen, he wasn’t very fond with the concept of displaying his own weakness. Lord Commander hated weakness, and those who showed it were broken beyond compare. The world around him was broken, and so was he. Sometimes, he wondered if he was even alive to begin with. The nightmares, the sleepless nights, the sheer stress his mind was under was something only he could deal with. The wretch, the worm, the parasite-

- **the murderer**.

Would dying be the best option here? The rifle on his shelf cracked a grim smile that he couldn’t take his eyes off of. Just as those he killed, perhaps he could take the same fate. He could take the rifle, put the nozzle in the perfect direction with his mouth wide open, and the room would get the paint job it rightfully deserves because he hated that dark grey so goddamn much. The easy way out, they could deal. They could save the world without him, after all. He was dead and nothing changed. Things got better without him around, now that he thought about it, where was he? What was he? This was definitely a dream. This was the afterlife, no, this was the hell he had to go through. This was a future that never came, a future that he didn’t belong in. It was hell, but he probably didn’t know it. It was-

**“Dad?”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT UP MY LITTLE POGCHAMPS????  
> So, a lot of stuff has been happening in life lately, stuff that's not so good so I had to split this chapter in two, so it'll be three parts...? I'm so sorry about that and I hope you guys will understand!!  
> Anyways, the end of this story is looking to be very interesting so I hope you'll look forward to it! It'll come out maximum like a week from now. See y'all soon!


	3. Final Part

**“Dad?”**

A familiar voice snapped him back to reality. Letting his eyes focus on what was in front of him, it was Little Cato who came into focus along with HUE.

“You hadn’t responded for a while, so I decided to get Little Cato. You seem very fixated on your rifle.” HUE said.

Avocato looked, and sure enough, the rifle was in his grasp. He didn’t even remember taking it from the desk, only admiring it from afar. 

“You seem very out of character, Avocato. Are you certain you don’t want to discuss anything?” 

“Just with my boy.” Avocato grumbled.

“Been meaning to talk to him anyway.”

“Alright! The HUE train will leave its stations.” HUE said, making his way to the door and closing it shut in an awkward, but charming manner that only he could really do.

“So...it’s true, isn’t it.” Little Cato’s said.

“All the things I accused you of were true?”

“The gist of it, yeah.” Avocato said anxiously.

“I feel kinda...messed up, you know?”

“I can tell. He put those thoughts in your mind, and they won’t stop replaying.” Little Cato said.

“Gary experienced something similar for a while, but he got over it as quickly as it started. The thought still comes every now and then, but he tries not to let it get to him.”

“If only it were that easy.” Avocato laughed. 

“My memories, Final Space, just knowing that I got another chance. Seeing you and Gary kind of ignited something I want to bury away for a long time, and Invictus took advantage of that.”

Avocato’s face scrunched as the words fell from his mouth. 

“You know...I get those thoughts too.” Little Cato replied.

“Things not being real and all that.”

Little Cato looked at his dad. Avocato was silent as could be, and this was okay. It was a messy situation, especially for his dad. Little Cato may have lived through these events along with Gary, but Avocato had next to no recollection of the events that transpired. It was all through the word of mouth, and originally, this was something that the squad tried their best not to address. But when you’ve gone through sixty years of isolation along with having to shoot someone you’ve held dear to you, it was bound to slip out at some point. In a way, Avocato’s awareness made their mission to defeat Invictus a little less daunting now that he knew. The squad definitely was aware of Avocato’s newfound guilt, but glancing at the gun besides his father, he knew.

He knew all too well what he was thinking. It was a thought he’d had several times in isolation and out of it. He still remembered when Fox barged in on him nearly acting upon that wish, and the squad kept a careful eye on him since. Of course, he loved using his gun against all the baddies that got in the squad’s way, but not even he seemed to trust himself as much anymore. He knew at one point, he’d probably snap again. Gary seemed to be nearing his breaking point, and he was fairly certain that he was aware of his suspicions. Given the fact that he was encountering rotting corpses of himself on the daily, it was fairly obvious that the weight of Final Space would crash on their shoulders eventually. Adventure was exhilarating, but the fate they bore reminded them of the harsh reality of their situation. His father hadn’t been there for a good amount of the journey either, so the sudden high stakes not only would be jarring, but strike the wound further. Avocato seemed to notice Little Cato staring at the object next to him, and he put it away as soon as he realized.

“I have a hard time believing it.” Avocato replied, breaking the silence.

“It’s not just Invictus. Gary’s changed, you’ve changed, everything’s different now. I feel like I’ve been dropped into a box with nothing to help me. I know things are there, I know all of you are here to help me and each other out, but it just feels like...nothing’s there.”

“Like you’re all alone.” Little Cato said, looking away from his dad.

“If...you’re comfortable, how long have you felt like this?”

“A while.” Avocato replied.

“Some days feel almost like a dream. My body doesn’t feel like my body at all, like I’m not supposed to be here. If I try to touch someone, it feels like I’d pass right through them. The first few days after you guys saved me was a constant cycle. It...still feels like that now. When Invictus spoke to me, it was like a whirlwind of emotions I didn’t realize I even felt. I just-”

He couldn’t talk anymore. He didn't want to cry in front of his boy, nor did he want to express anything strongly in front of anyone. Little Cato seemed to read the mood, and left his room after he knew the conversation wouldn’t go any further from there. 

Avocato wished he was stronger. As the Lord Commander’s right hand man, he felt unstoppable, but now, he felt smaller than a grain of rice. There was a part of him that felt grateful Little Cato understood, but that same old feeling came back to him again. That dark voice in the back of his head rang in his mind, and he looked to the drawer which inhabited his weapon of choice.

_ Not now. He definitely wouldn’t give up in the face of adversity. _

He hated that part of him, but it was something he had to live with. No one individual is without fault, and he was an exceptional case of this. There was a lot he couldn’t understand, but for now, he just had to trudge forward.

After all, everyone has a bit of poison if you look hard enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS OVER!!! I actually finished something! This is later than I wanted it to be, my apologies for the inconvenience! This is an idea I really love writing, and it's something I want to delve into more in my works! I hope you look forward to my future works for the Final Space universe!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again!! I hoped you like it! This started as a whole thread I made on discord and I wanted to turn it into a fic and wowzers I finally did it!! I might make a part 2 after finals week? I'm not sure yet but if y'all think it's necessary I'll do it! Thank u for reading lovelies and have a good day!


End file.
